PRAYING THE PROMISES
Opening Prayer
Father God, thank you for your love for me. In this new day, I seek to serve you in ways that are a testimony for you.
Read 2 SAMUEL 7:18-29
David’s Prayer
18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human![a]
20 “What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 21 For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant.
22 “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 23 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?[b] 24 You have established your people Israel as your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
25 “And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, 26 so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.
27 “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. 28 Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your covenant is trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 7:19 Or for the human race
- 2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
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Reflect
In what ways can you thank God for his faithfulness to you?Past, present, future: it’s all here in David’s prayer in a brilliant example to us of active, expectant faith. David looks back with gratitude for all God has done for him and for his people, Israel (vs 18,23,24). In humility, he is careful to acknowledge that it is God’s greatness alone that has brought about Israel’s success, from driving out the people ahead of them to rescuing them from Egypt (v 23). And this is interesting to me: David doesn’t passively assume that God will continue to bless him or bless Israel and establish David’s family line. Instead, David prays back to God the promises the Lord has spoken to him (vs 25-29), asking God to remember these words and to fulfil them. Off the cuff, how many promises from God’s Word could you quickly recall?
I think David’s prayer could be a key to our prayer lives today. Why not try this in your own prayer life? Write down in a diary or journal three or four promises from God’s Word that impact you personally. Then make time as you pray regularly to bring these promises back to God, repeating to him what he has said in his Word, asking him to fulfill each promise, and for you to see the answers with your own eyes.
Apply
‘For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory’ (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV).
Closing prayer
Gracious God, thank you for all of the promises in Scripture that you have already fulfilled. Teach me to remember your faithfulness as I face the challenges of today.
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